Precipice
by ms-ssnape
Summary: The Bennett Coven and the Parker Coven have worked together for centuries to lock evil away in the Prison Worlds but that doesn't mean Bonnie Bennett and Kai Parker ever have to get along… at least not until a secret is revealed that just might change everything. AU. Rated M for future chapters. (Written for all the people on tumblr who said they were interested.)
1. Honey-Bee

**A/N: Not even remotely Beta-ed, sorry. Also as a disclaimer none of these characters are mine they unfortunately still belong to Julie Plec, Caroline Dries, and the CW network.**

It was in the fourth week of June. She remembers because it was only a few weeks after the one-year anniversary of the day her mother abandoned their family and her father decided that being around anything other than his work was too much for him.

A knock on the door as she sat in front of her Grams' living room table -crayons and paper scattered about -Miss Cuddles sitting on the couch quite stoically for a teddy bear; almost as if the plush toy itself could sense what was to come. Bonnie remembers, vaguely, the sight of her grandmother wiping off her hands with a worn dishrag as she walked from the kitchen to the front door. At the time Bonnie had been much too invested in transferring as much yellow as possible to the sheet of parchment in front of her to pay close attention. With the door open, fresh sunlight had illuminated the doorway and shown through the curls of her grandmother's hair but Bonnie hadn't quite been at the right angle to see who was on the other side as the hushed conversation finally managed to capture her interest.

"You know the risks."

"Yes, and _you_ know the traditions."

"What about the younger ones? What about Bonnie? I won't have her in danger especially not after everything she's been through in the past year…"

"Everything is covered. The problem will be eliminated as soon as we can get everyone and everything assembled. I need them out of our way for the time being. You're the Matriarch, you can protect them and keep them on track with their training."

"And _him_?"

"Make him do chores while you practice or lock him in a room."

"You _know_ that's not what I meant-!"

"Nothing will happen we made sure of that. He knows his place."

"And you know mine." A long hard pause, "I'll take them but I won't be reduced to a nanny. I will be informed and updated regularly now that you've brought this to my backyard against my _express_ wishes."

Another pause. There was the distant sounds of slamming car doors and footsteps against porch-wood. A creak of the front door could be heard as it was opened a bit wider.

"Bonnie" Sheila had called out as she looked over in her granddaughter's direction "Come here child." She gave Bonnie a wan smile as she gestured her over with her right hand. Bonnie unfolded herself from her position on the floor, making sure to drop her yellow crayon on the table and pick Miss Cuddles up by the arm as she made her way over to her Grams' side.

The sight of the Parker Patriarch standing tall in the doorway while not particularly new to the young girl had been a bit foreboding and more than a bit intimidating as she was caught under his stern gaze. Though she grew up spending practically as much time with the Parker coven as she did with what was left of her own, there had always been something off about Joshua Parker; something cold about the coven leader that her young perceptive mind often detected whenever in his presence. She remembers clasping Miss Cuddles to her side a bit more tightly at the thought. Unfortunately, whatever feelings the Patriarch inspired in her had soon paled when she saw the figures standing next to him –or rather, one of the figures in particular. For it wasn't Jo with her clear blue eyes and dark hair that alarmed her. Nor was it the twins Liv and Luc with their curly blond locks and cherubic features that made her wary. No, it was Kai Parker, Jo's twin brother who even then managed to annoy Bonnie just on sight.

In his father's presence, as per usual, he'd looked cowed. He remained quiet, seemingly obedient and quite literally kept his head down. It was fairly apparent to anyone paying the slightest attention that Kai was kept on a tight leash by his father. Whenever the two were near each other Kai kept silent unless he was expressly told not to, he always placed himself out of the way of his father and siblings, and immediately did what he was ordered to. Young Bonnie would've felt worst for him if during the first time they had ever met at a coven-to-coven reunion he hadn't tried to hold her down in his backyard and put an earthworm in her hair.

A tiny, smug smile had lifted her small face as the young girl remembered his shocked expression when she'd flung him off with a little help from her magic and he'd landed in the muddy flowerbeds. It had been the first time she'd ever shown any sign of magic and it couldn't have been more convenient or satisfying. The soon to be witch could never figure out what happened that day though –what she possibly could have done to him to deserve such unwelcome treatment. All she knew was that their interactions had only gotten worse from there. Even at that very moment his expression was void but for a defiant glint in his eye as he looked at her from beneath his lashes. She recalled how she'd raised her chin in the theatrical way that only an eight year old can pull off to show him that she wasn't scared.

"Bonnie," Sheila had said again as she captured her granddaughter's eyes "show Liv, Luc, Jo, and Kai up to the spare rooms. Liv and Jo can share the first and Luc and Kai can share the one between our rooms. They're going to be staying with us for a while." The girl took a moment to look back and forth between the Parkers and her grandmother curiously, but nodded so she didn't appear rude.

"Yes, ma'am." Bonnie responded verbally. She then stepped out of the way and placed Ms. Cuddles on the small table used to store mail and keys located by the door.

Liv and Jo were the first to enter the house and each had smiled at Bonnie as Liv wrapped her stubby seven-year-old arms tightly around her in a hug and Jo asked how she was. Luc was the third to enter, huffing along excitedly with his hefty luggage –no doubt stuffed primarily with toys. Before Bonnie had fully turned to lead them through the house she caught sight of Kai still standing in the doorway. His father had a tight grip on one of his shoulders and the look between them could only be described as tense. The stare that Joshua gave his son was a very clear threat before he finally released him –a threat of what, Bonnie hadn't been sure but from the slight shiver that ran up her spine she wasn't convinced she wanted to know.

She led the Parker siblings up the stairs to the second floor. Opening the first door on the landing, she'd made sure the other two girls were settled. Turning down the hall, she'd helped Luc carry his bag past the upstairs bathroom then past her own room until they reached the second guest room. The entire time she'd felt eyes on her back as Kai's subtle footsteps echoed behind them. She was just helping Luc settle his bag on his bed when Grams called out from the floor below.

"Everybody! Come say goodbye, your father's leaving"

In a rush, Luc had scampered off to say goodbye to his father, too quickly it would seem as the sudden movement jerked the bag in such a way that one of the semi-zipped compartments came undone and some of its contents spilled out onto the hardwood floor. Bonnie had sighed as she bent down and collected the small trinkets and action figures and stuffed them back where they belonged. From the thumping footfalls she heard racing down the staircase she had assumed that she would be the last one to make it downstairs. That is why when she stood up and turned around her little heart had nearly jumped out of her chest as she found herself facing the twinkling eyes of Kai Parker as he stood mere inches away.

In that moment, Kai's stare had been eerie in its focus, reminiscent of what an owl might look like before it claims a mouse as its prey. An unassuming grey hoodie brought out the odd blue-grey coloring of his thinned irises and was paired with his usual cargo-short and sneaker combination. The brown pelt of his hair was cropped boyishly in a parody of neatness and was brushed away from his face. Unlike his siblings, he'd carried his luggage effortlessly with one hand, which could have been considered a moderately impressive feat for his ten-year-old frame if his only bag wasn't significantly smaller than those of the other Parker children.

As if Bonnie hadn't found him unsettling enough, he'd cocked his head to the side and allowed a mischievous grin to grace his features as he continued to stare at her. She'd narrowed her eyes and refused to break contact throughout the long silence. Finally, after somewhat taming his expression and looking away, Kai slowly brushed past her to set his bag down on the dresser, making sure to "accidentally" bump into her on the way there. Bonnie huffed and glared at him before making her way to the bedroom door. Just as she was about to exit the room Kai spoke

"Thanks for getting all of us settled in, _Honey-Bee_."

Her entire being froze and she whipped her head back in his direction only to find him nonchalantly sprawled on his bed smirking down at the comic book in his hands.

At that moment she decided she hated him. With as much contempt as her little body could hold, Bonnie Bennett hated Malachai Parker. Because there was only one person who'd ever consistently called her that nickname; one person who along with her father use to tuck her in at night to make her feel safe and whole; one person who use to use it in conjunction with _I-love-you_ -s; the woman who just one year prior had decided that Bonnie was no longer good enough to stick around for and who had one day packed up and abandoned their family.

 _Honey-Bee_ had been the nickname her mother had made and used for Bonnie for as long as she could remember. Everyone knew it, which is why after Abby left, everyone –both Bennetts and Parkers alike –made it a point to not call her by it again.

Yet here Kai was purposefully using it to cause her pain even though she hadn't done one nasty thing to him since he'd arrived to warrant it.

He was a bully. Just like he was the day they first met and she _hated_ him.

Bonnie wasn't as surprised as she should've been when a rogue spark of her magic caused the bedroom door to slam shut behind her as she stalked out of the room.

Kai never came back down to say good-bye to his father. Joshua Parker left anyway.

 **A/N: So here's the first chapter/prologue of sorts. I wanted to start the story off with a flashback from Bonnie's POV so that we get some sort of background started on her and Kai's relationship.**

 **I also wanted to expand a bit on the emotions and effects Abby's abandonment has on Bonnie bc I think that it was a disservice that the show didn't treat it with as much significance as it could've. Something as traumatic as the physical abandonment of one parent followed by the emotional abandonment of the other in one's formative years isn't something that doesn't shape a person or that a person can just easily get over. Plus, I think it would be interesting to juxtapose Bonnie's relationship with her parents to Kai's relationship with his.**

 **Don't worry though, Bonnie's initial aversion to Kai won't stem from this one incident, but considering how young she is in this flashback I felt that it was appropriate to play up her hurt over Kai's underhanded use of the nickname.**

 **If I continue this story, the next chapter will include flashbacks from Kai's point of view so that we may get more details and a better understanding of why their relationship has started off the way it has. Let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Gardenias

**SOOO Sorry it took me so long to update, I'm not gonna bore you with excuses, I just wanted to say thank you to all of the amazing people who reviewed: Le1a Naberr1e, , BQueen, sakura, minstorai, , Missyr256, Melika, bitchwheresmyupdate, tashasparkle, PracticallyCharmed, Ameera2014, YoCupcake, honey97, Just Stockton, hally2111, tortuejaune, Fashiondiva225, and all of the great guest reviewers too. I literally would not have continued this story if it weren't for all of you guys.**

 **Not sure I like this chapter, I tried to incorporate more of Kai's voice while still keeping it in third person, and tried making Kai and Bonnie just OOC enough to make their young age believable. Lemme know what you think. (Still un-beta'd.)**

 **P.S. I don't hate gardenias, in fact I think they may be one of my favorite flowers, but considering how they look I thought it would be rather fitting that someone as dark as Kai would have a dislike for them.**

 **Disclaimer: Unfortunately these characters still belong to Julie Plec.**

He remembers the first time he saw her.

Well ok, it was technically like the fourth or fifth time he saw her but he was never really one for technicalities. Also, he wasn't sure all of those other times counted considering she'd looked more like a swathed potato toted around in her mother's arms and he'd barely been potty trained.

Anyways, it was definitely the first time he'd met her officially –that he would never forget.

It had been yet another coven reunion put together by his family in a lame, annual attempt to play make believe and pretend most of the people who attended didn't regularly condone familial homicide for the sake of power.

He remembers that the day had already started off a bit oddly in that he was actually able to leave his room for more than five-minute bathroom breaks. While his father usually refrained from locking the door when people outside of the Gemini Coven visited, he'd always forced Kai to stay in his room with the door firmly shut whenever there was any company over; especially when there were enough guests to fill up their entire front yard.

But that day his bedroom door had oddly been left open with about half a foot of space.

It had been a curious, almost foreboding observation as he'd one; already been so accustomed to how much _Papa Parker_ loved to shut him out whenever he got the chance and two; was quite sure he'd shut the door behind himself after breakfast earlier that morning. He had paused in the doorway before slowly reaching for the brass knob of the open door, his hand had twitched slightly, not quite convinced that the strange occurrence wasn't going to be some sort of trick.

The floorboards of the hallway had creaked gently under his small, unsure footsteps as he hesitantly made his way down the hall to the top of the staircase. When he'd finally made it downstairs he had stood and watched his family members as they walked around him while rushing to get things in order. His father had even passed him as Kai stood tentatively near the foot of the steps; but no threat had been made, in fact his father hadn't even glanced at him as he'd continued on and carried out a box to the front yard. It was almost as if Kai had been invisible.

Not wanting to test his luck, he had tucked his head and focused his gaze on the ground as he shuffled quietly out of the house before anyone took notice. Once outside he'd stuck to the sidelines of the house as he avoided his relatives until he got to his destination.

The shade was both a relief from the hotness of the day and a cool reminder of his isolation as his bottom hit the grassy soil and his back hit the rough bark of the tall tree located on the outskirts of the yard. It was the same spot he usually chose whenever he and his siblings were allowed out in the yard to "play" –or rather more accurately when he was made to stay in a spot where his parents could locate him at all times and watch his siblings run around like maniacs.

He had been mildly upset that he'd been without his usual comic as he'd sat and watched the rest of his family talking and laughing with each other but at that age he'd already been more than used to entertaining himself when he had to. His hands had fiddled around in the dirt before he finally found a sharp enough pebble and began absentmindedly carving into one of the tree's roots with it as he'd continued to watch the people roaming the lawn. The carving was a rhythmic steeple that calmed him, the sound a grainy rip of natural matter that he'd always found deeply satisfying.

There was a small part of him even then, before he was old enough to realize what it really meant, that had been disgusted as he looked at the smiles and hugs between his many aunts and uncles and cousins. It had been the same part that hadn't understood what made him so separate from them. As his hand had kept carving he'd caught sight of some witches from the Bennett coven peppered here and there amongst the many Parkers, the brown of their skin catching in the sun, and he'd felt his disgust recede marginally.

Though he never understood why, there was always something about the Bennett witches that felt different. Perhaps it was the calming, natural vibe that seemed to subtly flow off of their magic; untainted in their lack of need to kill to appoint a new leader. Or maybe because since the day he had shown his first sign of magic –when he was five and had accidentally sucked up the spellwork his mother put into her gardenias to bring them back to life- that most of them just treated him with indifference rather than like a pariah as his own family did.

He never forgot the shock on his parents' faces when they came out to see the state of the once white and spotless flowerbed turned shriveled and discolored. His mother's wide brown eyes and frazzled blond hair, one dainty hand pressed to her mouth, the other pressed habitually to her pudgy stomach. His father's frozen visage that had too quickly turned into one of anger before he'd dragged Kai roughly into the house by the arm.

Kai had gotten the beating of a lifetime that day; honestly he was surprised that the belt hadn't worn into his skin during the punishment. He never understood what the big deal was, they were just flowers –obnoxious ones if you asked him- and it's not like mother or father of the year had ever bothered to explain what the problem had been.

From that day he knew that he was different though. None of his family members could absorb spells like him and he could never create or do his own spells like they could no matter how hard he tried… no matter how much he wanted to. He was cast off to the side, never allowed to practice with his sisters or brother during their training but made by his father to sit and watch in the background instead.

God, it all made him sound like some idiotic rip-off of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Any ways, the point was, he usually found his eyes drifting more often then not to the Bennett witches on the rare occasions he was allowed to be within their vicinity and that day had been no exception. Which is why when Sheila Bennett and her daughter Abby had arrived he'd immediately taken notice of the small girl holding Abby's hand who'd been trouncing along beside them.

Sometimes he almost wished he hadn't.

She was beautiful. That had been the thought that had entered his young mind as he saw her. And he _definitely_ hadn't thought it in that disgustingly cliché, love-at-first-sight type of way that those crappy B-romcoms like to perpetuate. It had been a fact –like how one would think that the sun is bright or how he'd thought that the toothy smile that had been on her face had been ridiculously too pleasant.

The white headband that had held her chocolate curls from her face had matched the white of her sandals as well as the white ribbon tied at the waist of her yellow dress; the bright colors offsetting the glow of her skin and the hazel-green of her eyes. She was _beautiful_ , and not just the outer kind but the sappy kind that you hear about on afterschool specials –the kind coming from within. Because it had been plain to see just from the way that the girl immediately took to those around her that she was so obviously, innocently _,_ _good_.

He had watched, his absentminded carving at a standstill, as she interacted with those around her giddily -as she had clumsily, happily helped Sheila serve out slices of her famous pecan pie to the people around her near the buffet tables. Her smile seemed to be contagious to the people that were gravitating toward her as each person had smiled back with praise. It had been a far cry from what he seemed to inspire from the same people.

He'd caught her name over the distance coming faintly from Abby's lips as she'd called the small girl over to her side at one point.

 _Bonnie_.

Bonnie Bennett. The name was somehow so fitting, so _proper_. It was only later in his life that he would realize the irony of the thought, but right then he'd been stuck. Stuck on her, stuck on watching her as if she had been magnetic, as if his eyes themselves had known something that he hadn't. And then he'd been frozen, because suddenly _she_ was looking at _him_.

She was _smiling_ at _him_ , and making her long way over across the yard with a paper plate full of pie in her hands. Her curls were bouncing, her dress was swishing, and her smile was just as sincere and bright as it had been since she'd arrived. It was like she hadn't gotten the message that everyone else around him apparently had; that he was contagious too, just in a way that required him to be under constant quarantine and separate from anything _good_.

Before he'd been ready, she had been standing in front of him, the shade of the tree doing nothing to diminish the light that had seemed to come with her. The odd warmth that he had felt in his chest that had spread throughout his limbs and suffused in his cheeks had meant nothing.

Really.

"Hi!" she had said so simply, and so openly in the way of a six year old.

She had been so tiny and yet she'd towered over his sitting, eight year old frame as he'd looked up at her. It had made her even more imposing than her clearly extroverted personality already had. He'd gulped.

"Here!" she offered happily, as she'd held out the plate with both hands for him to take. Hesitantly he'd taken the pie from her small hands, still surprised that someone had bothered. And while he'd remained silent throughout the exchange –while he'd tended to remain silent with everyone since the day his powers had been exposed and everything changed- something inside him had shifted in that moment. It was as if he _needed_ to respond to her, _needed_ to interact with her, _needed_ to reveal himself like he couldn't with the people around him that openly discouraged him from doing so.

"Thank you." He'd said quietly and her smile had lit up her face like it was Christmas. As she had stood there looking at him expectantly, he'd realized she was waiting for him to taste it.

Looking down he saw that there was no fork or spoon for him to eat with and concluded that she must have forgotten. Not wanting to make her go back and forth for one and attract the attention of others -or worst, go over to the buffet table and face everyone himself- he'd picked off a piece with his fingers and put it in his mouth.

The pie had tasted amazing, like, dropped-down-from-heaven-amazing and his eyes had closed with the flavor. Licking the remnants off his fingers he'd even decided right then that he rather liked eating the sweet treat that way, perhaps better than with a utensil.

When he had eventually looked back up at her –and the slice of pie had been all but decimated -she'd looked pleased as she shyly scuffed her foot back and forth over the grass and he'd felt an unfamiliar tugging at the corners of his lips that signaled a genuine smile. It was then that his gaze had shifted to just over her shoulder and he'd caught sight of his father watching them from a couple of yards away.

The word 'thunderous' didn't even begin to cover the expression on Joshua Parker's face as he stared down his oldest son. It had promised punishment and had brought Kai quickly back to his reality as he felt a tight, winding squeeze in his chest.

In reality, he didn't _deserve_ to be out in public or to garner any attention, especially not from someone like the sunny girl standing in front of him. Not from someone who was so clearly fitted and wanted and praised when he was just as clearly none of those things. In his reality Malachai Parker didn't deserve to be anywhere _near_ Bonnie Bennett.

Eventually his father had turned away and focused his attention back on the guests of the reunion but a lead pit had already settled in Kai's stomach. As he looked down at his hands and the empty paper plate a seed of bitterness began to grow.

Why couldn't he be happy like the rest of his siblings? What did he do that made him so undeserving? Why did he have no one that wanted him? Why was he so different?

 _Why couldn't he have Bonnie Bennett?_

And for the first time in his short life, eight-year-old Kai Parker who constantly obeyed the strictness of his father for fear of punishment felt a bit rebellious. If he was going to get punished by his father regardless, then he was going to soak up as much attention as he could from the younger girl who somehow made his pulse jump. The shift that he'd first felt from her presence widened until he'd felt an unfamiliar determination settle in.

Looking back up at her he made his decision, held out his hand, and asked "Wanna see something cool?" his sudden smile just a shadow more mischievous than he'd ever previously dared to be.

When she took his hand with wide eyes, a smile, and vigorous nods of her head he didn't waste any time in standing and dragging her away. He wanted to leave the spot while his father was distracted, at least then he'd have to waste time looking for them before he could split them up and inevitably lock Kai away in the house again.

With their hands clasped tightly he'd led her around the side of the house until they'd reached the backyard. He'd stood there watching her as she took in the sight with awe.

The backyard was filled with rows and bushels of flowers, some more normal -like sunflowers and the stupid gardenias- the rest falling more into the magical category; stocks of vervain and wolf's bane could be seen growing at the back of the plot.

This huge space was where his family grew ingredients for whatever witches brew the coven needed handy next, which was why it was _oh so important_ that all of the fauna remain healthy and un-trampled. It was the main reason why his parents hosted the reunions in the front yard instead of the back –aside from his father's obsessive need to constantly act like they had nothing to hide in the eyes of the public.

' _An open image is a trusting image. Having a gathering in the backyard means secrecy, having it in the front yard means community._ '

Yeah ok, if only the neighbors knew what friendly Mr. and Mrs. Parker really got up to behind closed doors.

Her face had transformed from awe to joy as she had run into the garden giggling and touching the flowers around her. She'd seemed to bask in the scents (or maybe she had sensed the magic surrounding her even then?) as she stood with her eyes closed, feet and arms spread apart, her face tilted upward toward the sun.

By the time he had realized that he'd been stuck in the same spot watching her, she was kneeling in front of the large bed of sunflowers, content to run her hand gently over them. When he came to her side he asked "You like sunflowers?"

"Yellow is my favorite color" she had responded proudly, preening as if she'd won something. He was forbidden from touching any of the flowers, but she had seemed so taken with the yellow things that he kneeled down to pluck one for her just as she let out a surprising shriek.

At first he thought maybe it was something he'd done, but as he had looked over he saw her on her bottom, hands and feet pulled toward her, a look of alarm on her face as she stared down at the ground beside her.

When he leaned over her to get a better look he saw a small cluster of worms that had gathered on top of the soil right next to where her hand most likely had been placed on the ground before she'd freaked. He had looked back at her still upset face then to the wriggling worms again before reaching over to pick one up.

He had wanted to show her that there was nothing to be afraid of and had tried to take her hand to so that she could see for herself, but she'd snatched her arm away and scrambled backward from him.

"NO!" she'd said loudly, the sudden stillness after the fact had seemed to carry it like an echo.

It was the fear on her face and the rejection of him in her voice that left a sting of bitter familiarity as he looked down. This was what he knew –how to screw things up and how to accept aversion over affection. Of course she was disgusted by him, he was fooling himself into thinking that they could be friends, she wouldn't even want to be around him now.

That thought made him angry and before he knew it he was taunting her by waving the worm in her face, his other hand pinning her bare shoulder to the ground, as he sat on top of her –the plucked sunflower lay forgotten and dirty beside their struggling bodies.

"Stop it!"

He kept bringing the worm closer and closer to her face.

"I said, don't!"

The worm was almost touching her cheek.

"STOP!" And suddenly, the next thing he knew, he was flying off of her into the air before landing hard in something soft and wet. His eyes were wide with shock as he felt the magic that had pushed him tingling warmly throughout his limbs – _her_ magic.

Even at that age he knew that her having magic shouldn't have been possible so early on. He, as the anomaly, was the only one in his family who had gotten his magic at the young age of five –his own twin sister still hadn't even developed any power yet at their current age of eight.

Before he could get his bearings she was running off teary-eyed to the front yard of the house where the adults were, the back of her dress darkened with dirt. Yep, he was definitely getting punished later.

He had looked down to see that he was sitting in the middle of a flowerbed, crushed stems and petals underneath him. Gardenias.

Of course.


End file.
